School District Young
Writers’ Contest 2015
May 22, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
CONGRATULATIONS to the 72 winners of the 35th annual Young Writers’ Contest. There were over 650 entries this year in the categories of short story and poetry from Santa Paula Unified School District students in grades 1-8.
By Brenda deJamaer
Brenda deJamaer, coordinator of the creative writing contest, presented the awards Wednesday, May 13 at Isbell Middle School. Prizes were awarded at each grade level in each category. All winners from honorable mention to 1st place received certificates. Cash prizes of $30 for each 1st place; $15 for each 2nd place; and $8 of each 3rd place were awarded. The cash prizes are possible thanks to the many contributions to the Young Writers Contest/Pat Alderson Memorial Fund.
The creative writers wrote about friends, family, school life, science, nature, disasters and sports. Short stories covered many genres including adventure, fantasy, horror, mystery, realistic fiction and science fiction. Poetry entries were very creative, humorous, emotional and descriptive. Mrs. deJamaer stated that she enjoyed reading the entries and is thrilled by the creativity and imagination of the students.
Recognition went out to Shannon deJamaer Munoz, Tracie Neyman, Shay Moulder and Norah Byrom for their assistance in preparing materials for the judges. Judging all of the great stories and poems is not an easy undertaking. The judges read and re-read the entries as they evaluate and rank each entry assigned to them. A big thank you went to the 12 judges for their time and expertise dedicated to that task this year. The judges were: retirees of the School District: Angela Borrego-Chaves, Phyllis Dorsey, Jody Ponce, Mary Schaeffer, and Lydia Valencia; from the Blanchard Community Library: Olivia Escoto; from the community: Lynn Cowell, Dan Robles, and John Robles; published authors: Pam Strange and Teri Rhodehamel; and former YWC winner: Zoe Appleby.
Mrs. DeJamaer acknowledged and thanked the many individuals and groups who contributed to the Contest including donations to the Young Writers Fund by Mr. Jerry Burns and CSEA Chapter 891; Maria Aguirre for translating the awards night welcome; Mrs. Norah Byrom for her untiring efforts in compiling all the winning stories and poems into booklets which will be added to each of the school libraries’ collections; and a big thank you went to the Santa Paula Federation of Teachers for their continued support of the Contest and for providing and serving refreshments to the winners and their families following the award presentations.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2015 YOUNG WRITERS’ CONTEST WINNERS!!!:
GRADE 1 POETRY
1st – Lupita Garcia “The Bells are Ringing”
GRADE 1 STORY
1st – Erick Alamillo “The Flood”
2nd – Ashley Hernandez “A Monster in the Rain”
3rd – Vanessa Alvarez “The Beach”
Hon Men. – Nathan Lopez Carrillo “Las Vegas”
GRADE 2 POETRY
1st – Elizabeth Escoto “Beautiful Butterfly”
2nd – Laura Martinez “My Parents”
3rd – Veronica Castrejon “Martin Luther King Jr”
Hon. Men. - Isaac Salgado “Meet the Amazing Isaac”
GRADE 2 STORY
1st – Lucas Murrillo “The Adventures of Paladin”
2nd – Zoe Hawley “Mixed Up Mammals”
3rd – Destiny Kolbeck “Baby Trouble”
Hon. Men.
– Melissa Sofia Contreras Angulo “Lisa Loves Math”
-- Reina Beltran “Fairy Who Did Not Fly”
-- Emilia Aguilera “The Running Race Horse”
-- Victoria Quiroz “Wacky Jackie”
GRADE 3 POETRY
1st – Daniela Ruiz “The fast Eagle”
2nd – Lucia Cancino “Love”
3rd – Ariana Ramirez “The Most Beautiful Poem in the World”
Hon. Men.
– Brianna Mancilla “Horse”
-- Giselle Guerra “My Day”
GRADE 3 STORY
1st – Daniel Nunez “Roberto’s Story”
2nd – Angelique Lewis “Phil Escapes”
3rd – Annesa Villa “ The Missing Teacher”
Hon Men.
– Jonathan Perez “Carnitas”
-- Rene Ramirez “Bob & the Witch”
-- Ashley Tellez “The Woman in the Bakery”
-- Aaliyah Kendricks “The Birthday Sweater”
-- Melanie Torres “The Zebra Losing its stripes”
GRADE 4 POETRY
1st – Luis Montalvo “Watermelon Rain”
2nd – Valery Bazan “Books”
3rd – Salvador Martinez Perez Jr “Fish Year”
Hon Men.
– Matthew R. Ruiz “Emotions”
-- Maria Magana “Laughing Lollipop”
GRADE 4 STORY
1st – Dakota Cane “Amy’s Journey to Alaska”
2nd – Sofia Medrano “New Age”
3rd -- (TIE)
-- Carlos McDaniel “Atlantis”
-- Adilene Fernandez “Christmas at the North Pole”
Hon Men.
– Mariah Hernandez “The Adventures of Fuzzy”
-- Grady Colborn “Attack of Giant Sea Slug”
GRADE 5 POETRY
1st – Jordan Torres “Basketball”
2nd – Samantha Rieder “Parents”
3rd – (TIE)
– Hugo Ramirez “Books”
-- Mya Hernandez “Lies”
Hon Men.
-- Michelle Bazan “Babies”
-- Marly Valverde “The Shadow”
-- Sofia Ramirez “Mom”
GRADE 5 STORY
1st – Carolina Martinez “The Two Worlds in my Head”
2nd – Jasmin Martinez “Hurricane”
3rd – (TIE)
-- Ceceleea Vega “Why I love My Great Grandpa”
-- Lorena Buelna “Selfie Madness”
Hon Men.
– Kimberlin Caudillo “Our Bedroom”
-- Emily Ramos “Gabriella & Her Horse Sierra”
-- Samantha Osegueda Take a Walk Through my Life”
-- Jordan Torres “Basketball Friends”
GRADE 6 POETRY
1st – Hayden Galvan “Colors”
2nd – Daniela Jimenez “Monsters”
3rd – Tyler Garces “Sand Rocks”
GRADE 6 STORY
1st – Bryanna Soto “Bob the Elf”
2nd – Tyler Garces “Soccer”
3rd – Dulce Mendoza “The Little Toad”
GRADE 7 POETRY
1st – Julia Fernandez “Shot”
2nd – Ace Rounds “Stalker”
3rd – Maria Rivera “Panda”
GRADE 7 STORY
1st – Julia Fernandez “The Storm”
2nd – Ricardo Bibian Hernandez “To the Middlemist Camellia”
3rd – Devon Venegas Johnson “Life as a Foster Kid”
GRADE 8 POETRY
1st – Garett Garces “My Room”
2nd – (TIE)
-- Hazel Roman “Tiger”
-- Maria De Jesus “Under a Godless Sky”
3rd – Isabel Llamas “I believe”
GRADE 8 STORY
1st – Garett Garces “The Worst Camping Trip”
